If you are looking to play Online Poker for money over the Internet, then it is imperative that you have a suitable computer and internet configuration to support this hobby. Poker is difficult enough to learn and play, and no one needs the added headache of having to worry about their computer configuration not being "powerful" enough to play. You need to spend your time concentrating on Poker, and not on whether your computer system is adequate or not. Given this premise, here is a recommended configuration for all of you online poker players:

• Given the inexpensive cost of today's computer technology, you should aim to have a computer that runs at a clock speed of at least 1 Ghz (that's Gigahertz, not Megahertz).

• Your computer should have a minimum of 512 MB (megabytes) of memory (also know as RAM, or Random Access Memory), but ideally should have 1 GB (gigabyte). Extra memory is the single biggest factor when it comes to applications running fast on your computer, and the more you have of it, the better.

• Your computer should have a minimum of 80 GB (gigabytes) of hard drive (or disk) space. Hard drives are the media that allow you to save programs and data onto your computer, from one power-up invocation to the next. 80 GB should be more than adequate to store your Operating System files, a good number of Poker programs, and all of the other data that you require to store on a computer.

• We recommend dual (2) monitors for your computer. Most of today's computers, support multiple monitors. 2 monitors will give you the capability to display all of your poker windows at once, and will avoid you having to need to switch between all of your windows in a 1-screen environment. Additionally, you will have more screen real estate to open up windows that support Poker help-tools, such as Poker Calculators or spreadsheets.

• Although some Poker vendors still support Windows 95 and Windows 98, we recommend that you minimally have the Windows 2000 Professional Operating System installed on your computer, and preferably have a version of Windows XP installed on your computer.

• Internet connection-wise, we are recommending a bit more than most will recommend. We recommend that you have dual-internet connections, which means that you have 2 internet services, each from a different ISP (Internet Service Provider). They do not, however, need to both be active at the same time. The rationale for dual internet connections is simple - if you are in the middle of a game with money at risk, and your 1 and only ISP goes down, you will be liable for any money that is at risk in your current game, if you cannot re-connect back into the game. In this scenario, if you had a second ISP, you could quickly connect to the Internet via this second ISP, re-establish your session with your Poker vendor, and continue onward. Usually, most reputable Poker vendors give you a 60-second grace period to reconnect to your session, upon a disconnect. In regard to the 2 Internet connections, we recommend that your primary ISP be broadband-based (i.e., cable modem, DSL, dedicated T1 line, etc.). These high-speed connections are relatively cheap in today's marketplace, and provide for optimal speed when it comes to sending and receiving data from your Poker vendor (they are much, much faster than traditional modem-based dial-up lines). For your second (or redundant, so to speak) ISP connection, we recommend a cheap dial-up service (preferably 56K service or lower if you area doesn't support this 56K dial-up speed over your telephone line). A broadband Internet connection will require that you have a dedicated modem which is usually provided by your ISP vendor and which connects to a broadband point coming into your home and to your computer. A dial-up Internet connection will require either an internal or external modem (usually comes with most computers today) which connects to your telephone line.

• Make sure your computer has a mouse, to navigate your Poker application.

• Make sure your computer has speakers, so that you can hear audible signals that your Poker vendor game provides during gameplay.

• Make sure your computer is connected to a printer, in the event that you need to print out Poker records of hand history or game statistics. A solid ink-jet printer will cost you less than $ 100 U.S.

• A final critical additional component that we highly recommend is a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) that connects between your homes' electrical source (outlet) and your computer. A UPS is also known as a Battery Backup System, and typically provides you with 30-60 minutes of backup power, should the electricity in your home go out. Similar to the scenario described above, an active UPS can save you from disconnecting from an active Poker session that you are in, where money is at risk. A UPS will allow you to continue to play in your current game, as long as your ISP is not effected (cable modem broadband providers, for example, don't tie into a homes' electrical current). For obvious reasons, a UPS is an essential part of your computer Poker arsenal, and should not be forgotten.